The use of mobile computing devices is becoming increasingly commonplace in the workplace resulting in increased productivity due to a mobile workforce. In the event that a mobile computing device is accessed by an unauthorized user, the information contained therein may compromise the security of an organization. Such a security breach commonly arises due to an unauthorized user accessing an unattended, lost or stolen mobile computing device.
User authentication is one way to prevent unauthorized use of a mobile computing device. Authentication is a process by which a user verifies his identity before the computing device can be accessed. One-time passwords or application specific passwords may require a string of characters to authenticate a computing device to a user account. These character strings are usually lengthy and difficult to type using a keyboard or other input mechanism on the mobile computing device.